Remote Desktop Access
About the Service
Our Remote Desktop Access service is an optional add-on to our Broadband and Online Services Bundle. It is only required where school staff need to remotely access school resources from home because cloud-based services such as Microsoft Office 365, OneDrive, SIMS Next Gen or Teacher App cannot provide suitable access.
Headteachers and school admin or finance staff typically use this service to access SIMS on your school's server from home, or for the purpose of supporting staff with remote working arrangements. (Please Note: We ask schools using the service to regularly review whether remote access is required and for your school to switch to using SIMS Next Gen for access to SIMS data once the functionality you need is released).
The Remote Desktop Access service facilitates a secure connection, using a web browser from a remote location to your school Windows desktop or Remote Desktop Services (RDS) server. To help secure access to your data your existing Microsoft 365 Unique Identity will be used with an additional MFA to access this service.
School users who only need access to files from home should use Microsoft 365 OneDrive and Teams as an alternative, rather than this service. This service has a limited lifecycle and will be decommissioned when SIMS functionality is sufficiently advanced in SIMS Next Gen (ESS's new cloud-based version of SIMS).
Support for your Microsoft 365 tenancy is included in your Broadband and Online Services subscription and we also offer consultancy options to get you started.
What are the benefits?
- Data remains in school, removing the need to carry portable hard drives, CDs or USB pen drives containing potentially sensitive data.
- When used with Unique Identities and MFA, this service can form part of your data protection and GDPR strategy to avoid sensitive data being stored on laptops and personal devices, as all data remains securely stored on your school network.
- Increases productivity and flexibility by allowing staff access to the school's systems out of standard hours or during school holidays.
- This service proved invaluable to school staff throughout the coronavirus pandemic and can form a key part of a school's business continuity strategy.
What's Included?
Service Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
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Remote Desktop Access Service |
The Remote Desktop Access service provides a secure connection using your web browser, from a remote or home location, to your school network desktop or Remote Desktop Services server. |
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Documentation
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A customer user guide is available from the support area of our website. It explains how to use this service and how to setup computers at a school to be available for remote desktop access. |
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Administration |
Remote Desktop Access Service is a centralised service administered by Lancashire County Council Education Digital Services. We maintain the list of authorised users and the IP addresses that they can connect to. |
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Security |
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Service Licence Requirements
Please note that your school will require specific Microsoft licences in addition to the Remote Desktop Access Set Up Charge and the Annual Subscription charge as follows:
| Microsoft Licence Requirements for Remote User Access to Servers/Desktops |
||
|---|---|---|
| Type of Device to be Remotely Accessed | Users have Microsoft EES A3 or A5 Licence | School does not subscribe to a Microsoft Agreement |
|
Joint Domain Server (with Remote Desktop Server) |
One RDS CAL per User (Add-on to your EES) |
One RDS CAL per User |
|
Windows Peer-to-Peer |
No additional licensing required | No additional licensing required |